THE PSYCHOLOGY OF PRAYER İN AL-HARİTH AL-MUHASİBİ: AN ANALYSİS OF KİTAB AL-FAHM AL-SALAT

Abstract

In the Sufi thought of Haris al-Muhasibi, prayer is not merely a physical act of worship but a psychological and practical state of proximity established with the Creator. This process, shaped around the work Kitabu’l-Fehmu’s-Salat, is grounded in a mental preparation and spiritual orientation that begins as early as the walk to prayer. According to Muhasibi, the opening takbir represents a process of ihram, symbolizing a complete detachment from worldly ties; at this point, the believer leaves the world behind and enters into a spiritual seclusion (halwet) with the Truth. The final salam at the end of the prayer signifies the conclusion of this private audience and the carrying of the attained intimacy into social life.

In Muhasibi's thought, the night vigil is characterized as a secret experienced in the purest form of sincerity, free from ostentation, while his approach to performing supererogatory prayers in congregation is handled within the context of protecting and disciplining the heart. Against spiritual diseases such as vanity, hypocrisy, and heedlessness that disrupt the humility of worship, Muhasibi mandates constant self-observation and self-accounting. Consequently, the article demonstrates that Muhasibi positions prayer as an “action of the heart” and presents it as a psychological healing process that reconstructs the individual's self through every movement. This approach transforms prayer from being a mere obligation into a state of consciousness through which man recognizes both himself and his Lord.